Self-described Star Wars fanatic Genndy Tartakovsky has created a "micro-series" of 20 three-minute shorts, serializing the story that takes place between Star Wars II and III.

For Tartakovsky, a self-described Star Wars nut, this labor-intensive project was a true labor of love. “When we first got the assignment, the segments were supposed to be only one-minute long, but since George Lucas is a fan of Samurai Jack, he let us up the length to three minutes,” he told Animation Magazine.

The project serves as an animated bridge between Episode II and next year’s Episode III feature, and centers on Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi as they lead the Galactic Republic against the forces of the cloned troopers created by the Separatists. The series also features such familiar characters as Yoda, Count Dooku, as well as new villains such as Sage and the Sith. Each episode showcases cartoony, stylized character design with sumptuous backgrounds and effects, and basically nonstop action.

The first batch of ten debuts tonight on Cartoon Network at 8 p.m. (Eastern and Pacific), and will continue over the next nine consecutive weeknights. The remaining ten episodes will appear next year.